Heart Attack Risk

Q: I have angina, and some of my arteries are blocked. What are my chances of having a heart attack, and can a prescription drug like Imdur control chest pain?

A: Severe blockages in coronary arteries can certainly cause a heart attack. Often, such blockages can be propped open with stents, which can relieve the angina. When people have good collateral circulation (new blood vessels bypassing the blocked ones and supplying the heart with blood), then nothing further may need to be done. Imdur (isosorbide mononitrate) helps relieve angina, Taking aspirin, a statin, an ACE inhibitor, and a beta blocker may be recommended, too.

Heartbeat

Cardiac Test Basics

Please explain the difference between an electrocardiogram and an echocardiogram. What exactly do these tests tell doctors about the heart?

Give the Gift of Life

My brother-in-law just turned 50 and needs a new heart. We sometimes hear that wealthy people get donor organs quicker than others. Is this true? How long is the usual wait for a new heart?

Low-Dose Aspirin for Heart Health

What is the latest information about taking daily baby aspirin to help the heart?

Heart Defect Often Causes No Symptoms

I had a stroke in 2003, and a diagnostic test showed a “hole” in my heart with no right-to-left shunt. The shunt didn’t show up on a different kind of test in 2009, either. I came through the stroke fine because I went to the hospital right away and have been on warfarin ever since. My question is: If there’s no shunt, is the hole present?

Surgery Corrects Heart Rhythm

Q: How does the Maze treatment for atrial fibrillation work, and what does it involve? A: The Maze procedure is open heart surgery to eliminate rapid heartbeats. It involves making a series of incisions in the top portion of the heart, the atria. In experienced hands, the procedure is successful in more than 90 percent [...]